Rules of Engagement talks all things Cannes and Research

Every business goes through a period of collecting feedback and gathering research, whether it be for product development, brand awareness or just to improve service. This month, our Rules of Engagement talks focused on design thinking and ways research should be an integral part of the user experience.

After the usual pizza and beer networking at the start of the evening, everyone gathered around the theatre-style seating to learn new things and get inspired.

First up was Adam Babajee from Pycroft. His examples highlighted how behavioural insights can lead to better design. By the end of his talk, Adam dispelled the concept that research needs to be time-consuming, costly and admin heavy. Using remote research, you can capture behavioural insights from natural habits, capture feedback in multiple formats (including video, surveys and text formats) and attract the best, not the nearest participants. This gives your research project a better pool of people to work with.

The next speaker was Ross Pope, a user experience (UX) designer who showcased how research enables his team to apply design thinking to solve problems. He explained the concept of design thinking – a process comprising of different stages, from developing ideas to building prototypes and testing. All these stages need to be worked through logically, step by step to ensure any problems or challenges are solved.

With the room given plenty of food for thought about processes for releasing new products or relaunching company websites, it was time for more refreshments with a heavy dose of inspiration to round up the evening.

James Ainsworth and Dan Izzard took to the stage to share some of the best marketing campaigns to come out of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Global brands including Getty Images, IKEA and Budweiser all had inspiring campaigns demonstrating how through creativity and global influence can change perceptions, reduce stigma, impress consumers and awaken the inherent nostalgia we all have.

However, one campaign which resonated with the whole room wasn’t a brand, it was a country, Palau to be precise. Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region attracting millions of tourists every year, however it also faces major environmental challenges. Watch how the country came up with a creative solution to solve pollution and protect the tranquillity that is their home.

With plenty of ideas to go around a room chock-full of the city’s most creative minds, the evening ended with a quick trip down to the pub for more chat about Bristol’s booming creative industry.

If you enjoyed our review of this Rules of Engagement showcase, we have also attended the Bristol Rules of Engagement talks about making user experience accessible and ways you can choose a career that loves you.

Have you been to any Rules of Engagement events? Let us know which one your favourite is and what’s the best tip/ idea you took away from the talks.